Legal encyclopedias offer broad and general commentary on a wide range of federal and state law. These secondary sources are useful as a starting point for researching unfamiliar areas of law. Most of the articles in encyclopedias focus on case law and do not contain extensive citations to statutes or other secondary sources. Legal encyclopedias are typically kept current with pocket parts or supplements.
The two major legal encyclopedias on US law are American Jurisprudence (Am. Jur.) 2d (available on NexisUni and Westlaw) and Corpus Juris Secundum (CJS) (available on Westlaw). Additionally, many (but not all) states have a legal encyclopedia focusing exclusively on the laws of that state.
U.S. Legal Encyclopedias in Print
The print materials listed below link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online resources are provided when available.
Call Number: KF154 .A42
Available electronically on NexisUni and Westlaw (see links below).
Call Number: KF154 .C56
Available electronically on Westlaw (see link below).
State Legal Encylopedias in Print (examples)
Call Number: KFM1265 .W4
Based on Maryland statutes and cases. Available electronically on Westlaw (see link below).
Michie's jurisprudence of Virginia and West VirginiaCall Number: KFV2465 .M52
Based on Virginia and West Virginia statutes and cases.
Electronic Databases
The subscription resources marked with a padlock
are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.
Nexis Uni External This link opens in a new window
Provides electronic access to American Jurisprudence 2d.
Westlaw Patron Access This link opens in a new window
Provides electronic access to American Jurisprudence 2d, Corpus Juris Secundum, and several state legal encyclopedias.
